The Independents are riding high in the polls.
People are fed up with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and want to get them out.
By posing as anti-establishment independents hope people will vote for them. We even now have a party called Independent Ireland which includes defectors from Fianna Fáil who are out and out racists and who are leaving to stand as ‘independents’ because they want to keep their seats.
So voters need to ask themselves what do independents stand for? And do they pose a real challenge to the establishment?
A number of so-called independents are clearly on the Far Right and want to blame refugees and migrants for all our ills rather than the governments led By Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. The best example is Niall Boylan who is running for the Euros in Dublin. He is anti-refugee and repeats far-right tropes about unvetted men. He also promotes public private partnerships to address the health care crisis.
He has argued that Independent Ireland should go into government after the next election. But not with the left. Clearly, he is not independent of the establishment.
Nor are most Independents in the Dáil. In 2020 45% of so-called independent TDs voted for Micheál Martin as Taoiseach. They included Michael Mc Namara who is running for Europe in Ireland South. They want to maintain the rule of the establishment parties too.
Across the country independents, and smaller parties, are propping up ruling groups on councils which include Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. For example in Dublin after the last local elections, in Fingal, Dublin City and Dún Laoghaire, the Greens and Labour entered into alliances with Fianna Fáil, with the Social Democrats and Independents joining where needed. On South Dublin County Council, the Greens combined with Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Independents.
So, people vote for one thing and get another. They voted for the independents who present themselves as the wolves who will fight the establishment but quickly turn into sheep when they are offered the prospect of becoming mayor for a year or the chair of a committee.
There’s a long history of fake independents in Irish politics. Just like there’s a long history of parties promising change, and then going into Government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
That’s what happened in 2020 with the Greens, and in 2011 with Labour.
People Before Profit are different – our candidates have pledged to never go into coalition with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael or support them on the councils.
Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats haven’t given this commitment. Nor have many so-called independents
This June, don’t let the establishment sneak back in. To evict FIANNA FÁIL & FINE GAEL, we need to vote for candidates who will NEVER prop them up.
People Before Profits is the ONLY party that gives you a cast iron guarantee that we won’t. On June 7th vote for a party that’s Independent of the establishment and truly independent of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
On June 7th, Vote People Before Profit Number 1